Matt Reeves to Return as Director for PLANET OF THE APES 3?

Deadline reports that Matt Reeves has locked in a deal to return as director for the third installment of the PLANET OF THE APES franchise. The second film from Twentieth Century Fox, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2014.

Reeves is also in negotiations to pen the third movie alongside Mark Bomback, who wrote the script for 'DAWN'. The first film, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, opened in 2011.

In 'DAWN', a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

Andy Serkis, celebrated for his performance in the last film, reprises his role as Caesar. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES also stars Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Public Enemies, The Great Gatsby), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, The Harry Potter film series), Keri Russell (The Americans, Mission Impossible III), Toby Kebbell (The Prince of Persia, Wrath of the Titans, Rock N Rolla), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In, ParaNorman), Enrique Murciano (Traffic, Black Hawk Down), Kirk Acevedo (The Thin Red Line) and Judy Greer (The Descendants, Three Kings, 13 Going on 30).

Reeves has also directed Cloverfield, the remake of Let Me In, and directed and created the TV series Felicity, among other projects.